I am so ready to jump in my mom-mobile and drive to Helena right now. The latest Republican antics--returning to HB2 as the budget bill but taking the time to give a big Lange-style raspberry to our governor in the form of eliminating one of Schweitzer's highest priorities, all-day kindergarten--are enough to drive me to drink. And it's only 8:30 in the morning!
The low-life-itude that it takes to use five-year-olds as pawns in games of political cat-and-mouse is astounding. A clear majority of Montanans favor all-day kindergarten, and those that don't--as always--are free to keep their children at home. For those who oppose it on fiscal grounds, I can only say that every dollar spent developing a five-year-old has got to be worth at least two dollars down the road. Every kid who gets a better start because of this will be that much closer to being able to contribute to the community later.
As much as the Bozeman cabal and their henchmen would like it to be otherwise, people in Montana still support public education. More than 90 percent of Montana kids attend public schools, and even those without kids in school have a vested interest in what happens there. If schools can't afford to do their jobs, how will future generations ever be able to do theirs? The answer is that they won't.
I'm tired of this BS. All of our lawmakers, from the City Councils to the Montana State Legislature to the U.S. Senate, work for us. In the wise words of someone who knows a little bit about the body, Jon Tester (hat tip to Jay)--gives an eloquent reminder:
"...the fact is, the Constitution is pretty darn clear about where our power comes from - it comes from the people that elect us. And that's it. Our power comes from them. Once you forget that... I can see how it can be a challenge to remain true to who you are."
Republican House members in our state have clearly forgotten that, along with basic rules of civil discourse and acceptable styles of negotiation. I hope that Montana voters will remember come November 2008.